Sesame Chicken and Rice

My kids love teriyaki chicken.  From a restaurant.  I have never found a recipe for home made chicken teriyaki that they actually want to eat. The sauce isn't thick, the flavor isn't the same.  But today I came across a slow cooker recipe on Pinterest and tried it out with a few minor changes.  (please pardon my bad cell phone photo, above!)

My version is pretty basic, but requires about 60-90 minutes of stove time to simmer.  Basically simmering the chicken until cooked through and very tender. You could probably do this on low in your slow cooker, but no guarantees. (if you try it in a slow cooker, let me know how it works out!)

Sesame Chicken and Rice, courtesy of By Guess By Gosh
2lbs boneless/skinless chicken breast, cut in to 1 to 2" cubes
1/2 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 T sesame oil
1 T ketchup
1 T toasted sesame (this is optional)
Rice

Combine all the ingredients (except sesame seeds) in a large nonstick pan on stove.  Turn heat to medium to get the liquid warmed up, then before it begins to boil, turn down to low, cover and let simmer for 60-90 minutes.  Stir occasionally so the chicken cooks evenly on all sides.  Check for doneness at 45 minutes just to make sure all is okay (the smaller the chicken cubes, the faster cooking time).

Meanwhile, make your choice of white or brown rice.  When you're ready to serve, place rice on plate and top with chicken mixture and sauce.  Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

*For more texture you could add sliced water chestnuts and diced celery to the chicken mixture as it cooks.

And unfortunately no photos of this dinner.  I was starving and figured a picture of an empty plate wouldn't help with visuals....